Joe Kohlburn is a doctoral candidate in information science, librarian, activist, and an arts advocate in St. Louis, MO.
Thanks to Casey and other committee members from the Independence area for doing the lion(ess)' share of the work on this particular letter. No kid has ever been traumatized by reading about a fictional enby character, but plenty of LGBTQ+ kids have been traumatized by systematic erasure, and being rejected by intolerant adults in their …
Continue reading "Letter to Independence School District from MLA-IFC"
Here's the MLA-IFC's latest letter to a school district near Springfield, MO. The struggle continues, and our position remains that books are for reading, not banning, not censoring. Libraries are where we access information, not wring our hands and bend to craven political mechanizations at the expense of our users. June 17, 2022 Nixa School …
Continue reading "Nixa School District: Fun Home, All Boys Aren’t Blue, Homegoing"
This past month, Wentzville school district has again decided to remove items from the collection based on the complaints of a vocal minority. The Intellectual Freedom Committee drafted this letter to make clear our pressing concern for intellectual freedom and free inquiry, as well as the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in particular in this case. …
Here's an open letter I wrote to the Wentzville School District in Missouri in their latest attempt to ban a book- Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. January 28, 2022 Wentzville School Board President Mrs. Betsy Bates 280 Interstate Drive Wentzville, MO 63385 cc: Dr. Curtis Cain, Superintendent Dear Mrs. Bates and Dr. Cain, We, the …
Continue reading "On Wentzville Intellectual Freedom Infringements"
Joe is presently looking at intersections between institutions, sense-making, and creative practice, focused on activists, librarians, and media consumption.
Joe Kohlburn 